Peace in the Middle East

Mr. Sharon, Israeli housing minister, discussed the path to peace in the Middle East and the role of Israel in the peace process. In order to attain peace, which Mr. Sharon believes is possible, he said Saudi Arabia and Kuwait must both negotiate directly with Israel to create a fair peace agreement, since their foreign affairs directly affect Israel. He also called for an end to the arms escalation in the Middle East, and discussed other issues such as the problem of water distribution among the countries. Mr. Sharon said the only real solution to the problem of Palestinian refugees is to make Jordan a second Palestinian state. He cites historical evidence to show the area of Jordan has historically been occupied by the Palestinians, and should open itself to Palestinian refugees. He responded to questions from the audience, including a question on Israeli settlements on the West Bank. He said Israel was building a small number of apartments on the West Bank, which was occupied mainly by members of the existing Israeli population, not newcomers as has been speculated.